Unbroken
by carinims01
Summary: They thought they were done with Pitch after his own nightmare's carried him off. But they were wrong. So wrong. Infected with Pitch's nightmare sand, Jack is in critical condition, living out his own memories and fears. It's up to the Guardians to save him, and that means entering Jack's dreamworld before the winter sprite is conquered by his own nightmares. Post RotG. No slash.
1. Only the Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians

So, despite the fact that I have two other stories going, plus school/homework loading me down, I decided to write a Rise of the Guardian fic. Why? Because I'm obsessed. That's the easiest way to say it. Really, I've probably seen the movie ten or more times, and I still can't get enough. Then there's fanfiction: I've only found a few that I like, and so I decided to make my own contribution. ;) I'm a little dork like that.

I hope you like the story. It's my first ever RotG fanfic, and I already have more ideas forming in my mind. :P

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Only the Beginning**

* * *

The wind blasted through Jack's hair as he sped through the snowfall in Burgess. The grin on his face grew as he spotted Jamie's house, and he let the wind slow him down enough to allow him to land on the boy's fence with barely a sound. His staff, clutched in his right hand, brushed against the fence, creating a crystalline pattern down the wood as Jack stood to his full height.

"Jack!"

Jamie bounded down his front steps, backpack strapped to his back, with Abby at his heels and Sophie behind her.

"There you are!" Jack laughed, flying down from the post. Abby ran at him, and the winter sprite laughed as the greyhound rubbed against him. "Hey, girl," he cooed. "Miss me?"

"Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack!" Sophie giggled.

The young man called a chipper greeting, his deep timbre giving way his amusement. "Hey, Soph!"

"Are you going anywhere today?" Jamie asked.

"I was thinking of Russia. They haven't had a good snowfall in a while."

"Great! I'll look it up when I get to school." Just then, the long yellow vehicle rounded the corner, coming to a stop at the corner before honking its horn. The boy groaned. "Already?"

"Go on, Jamie," Jack encouraged. "I'll see you when you get home."

The boy flashed him a smile, the gap from his missing tooth showing prominently as he turned towards the corner. "Bye, Jack. Bye, Soph."

"Bye!" Sophie yelled, her golden hair flowing into her face as she turned.

Jack chuckled before Mrs. Bennett came outside, smirking. The woman's red-framed glasses glinted in the sunlight while she narrowed her eyes against the snow. "Sophie, come in the house, you're going to catch a cold."

"But, Mom," the young girl whined, "I wanna play with Jack!"

"Jack who?"

Sophie jumped with excitement. "Jack Frost! Frost, frost, frost!"

Her mother quirked her eyebrow in amusement and brushed a strand of red hair behind her ear. "Well, by this snow, you can play with Jack later. Come inside, and let's make some hot cocoa."

Jack put a hand on the small of her back and gave her a small push. "Go ahead, Soph, I'll be back later."

"Promise?" she whispered, turning towards him.

Chuckling, the winter sprite nodded, crouching down to her level. "I promise."

She smiled broadly at him before turning back 'round and hopping up the stairs, taking her mother's hand and allowing her to guide her. Abby followed at their heels, and Mrs. Bennett shut the door behind them.

"Oi! Frostbite!"

Jack whirled around, instinctively jumping up and floating a few inches off the ground with his staff clutched defensively in his hand. He only relaxed once he recognized the seven foot tall rabbit with two boomerangs strapped to his back and distinctive, dark-grey markings on his ashen fur. "Bunny! Geez, don't sneak up on me like that."

"I didn't sneak up on ya," Bunny challenged.

"Oh?" he smirked. "And what would you call it?"

"I'd call it waiting for you to _notice_ me."

Jack brushed it off. "Same difference. What's up, anyhow?"

Snow gathered on the rabbit's fur, and he said, "Nothin'. Just... bored. It's been too quiet since we defeated Pitch."

"Ah. I see." He leaned against his staff, a teasing gleam in his eye. "You're lonely."

"Am not!"

"Yeah, okay. Up for a race then, Kangaroo?"

_"Bunny._ Anytime, Icicle."

"How about to the lake?"

Bunnymund wiggled his nose, smirking deviously as Jack floated over to him. "You're on."

"No portals, though. Got it?"

"Mate, you think I'd cheat?" He shook his head teasingly. "Ye of little faith."

Shoving his hand in his ice decorated hoodie, Jack laughed and repositioned his staff. "On your mark."

"Get set."

"Go!"

They took off at the same time, Bunny bounding over the snowdrifts and dodging parked cars while the winter sprite flew gracefully above him. His alabaster hair fluttered wildly as the wind pulled at clothing and Bunnymund's fur.

"C'mon, Cottontail! You gotta be faster than that!"

"Says the incarnate of _ice,"_ he shot back.

Jack chortled and quickly spun around an SUV, narrowing his startling blue eyes against the pelting snow. He could see the lake in the distance. The heavy, snow laden pine branches hung close to its frozen surface, and snow banks gathered at its edges. Its eggshell blue surface glinted in the light, and the freshly fallen snow gathered in its uneven crevices.

And that was when it happened.

The picture-perfect scene began to blue and refocus, and Jack blinked several times to clear his vision. He, distantly, realized that the pelting snow wasn't snow anymore. It was wetter. Like slush.

"Mate, you feelin' alright?"

Bunnymund's voice was far off and barely registered in the winter sprite's mind. Sudden nausea coursed through him, and his flight pattern wavered as he dipped closer towards the ground.

"Jack!"

The lake was getting closer still, but Jack was hardly aware of anything. His mind felt stuffed, his head suddenly throbbed, and something wet traced his cheekbone. He felt himself falter again, and his bare foot brushed against a snowbank as his staff bounced against the ground.

"Stop flying!"

He couldn't though. He couldn't do anything.

The slush continued, becoming more and more liquid as the seconds went by, and soon the young man's clothing was soaked. For the first time in three hundred years, Jack felt cold. So cold.

He shivered violently and felt his eyelids droop. He dipped again, but this time, he went down. Hard. He crashed into the high snowbank on the threshold of the pond, and the gathered snow went flying, coating Jack as he, still propelled by his speed, continued onto the jagged ice. It tore at his clothing and his flesh, and when he finally came to a stop, he felt aching pain running through him. Blood ebbed from his cheek, and he could taste the metallic tang of it in his mouth from where he'd bitten down on his tongue.

"Jack!" Bunny came to a skidding stop beside him, leaning down towards the winter sprite as the clear concern in his eyes grew. "Kid, what happened? You alright?"

His eyelids fluttered rapidly as he tried to stay conscious, but another bout of nausea rushed through him. He wrapped his arm around his abdomen as he tried to get to his feet. Jack stumbled and fell back against the cold ice, breathing heavy as he flopped over onto his back. Bunny set his large paw on Jack's shoulder comfortingly.

"Settle down, mate. Don't try to get up."

The winter sprite flexed his fingers, only to find that his staff wasn't there. It was always there. Where...? "Sta-"

"You're staff? It's over there. Just a second." He hopped away and returned a moment later, the long shepherd's crook in his paw. He handed it off to Jack, who was visibly shivering, and the boy wrapped his long fingers around it... But it did nothing.

Usually, he found comfort in the staff. It had always been there. He had grown up using it, teasing his sister with it, _saving_ his sister with it. It had always been a source of comfort, and it was what he channeled his powers through. But it felt... _cold_ and _foreign. _And, when he touched it, only the faintest traces of frost crawled over it, so unlike the vibrant, sparkling patterns of before.

"Jack? Frostbite, what's wrong?" His paw came forward and brushed his cheek, wiping some of the crimson off.

"Bun... Bunny," Jack murmured, pain and weariness lining his voice.

"I'm here, mate."

"Wha-what's g-going on?" He coughed harshly, clenching his eyes shut as he rolled to his side, facing his friend. "W-why am I s-so cold? I-I'm never c-cold."

"I don't know," he replied, the concern clear in his voice. "I'm gonna get help, 'right?"

But the tall bunny was gone before Jack could, weakly, protest. Struggling to keep his eyes open, the boy saw his friend run towards solid ground, tap his foot twice, and jump through the hole, leaving a colorful flower, so out of place against the snowy landscape, in his place.

Exhaustion and nausea coursed through him again, and Jack couldn't fight it anymore. He coughed gratingly and curled in on himself, pulling his knees up, as the cold rain fell and his eyelids finally closed.

* * *

And yes, as you may have guessed, this is going to be chock full of bromance. No doubt about it. After seeing the movie so many times and analyzing the little things, the Jack-Bunny bromance just hits you full on. Seriously. It does. I'm not even kidding. :D Also, if there's a specific idea/scene that you want to see, feel free to suggest it. ;)

Please review. :D


	2. Complexities

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians.

Wow, guys. The response from the first chapter was amazing. Thank you all so much. The reviews were absolutely wonderful to read, and I apologize if I wasn't able to respond. I always seem to read the reviews when I'm pressed for time, and I don't get back to them. :P But really, thank you all.

Enjoy:

* * *

**Chapter 2: Complexities**

* * *

Rabbit holes were wonderful. They were an easy means of transportation that could get Bunny where he needed to go in minutes at the most. But they weren't what was needed to carry an injured winter sprite, especially when Bunny needed both of his paws to leap through the holes. He could have brought Jack over towards solid ground and made a hole for him to fall through, but the young man didn't need to be jostled any more than need be. No, for transporting the winter sprite, Bunny would need help. So he went to the place he could think of at the moment where Jack could get a smooth ride.

The North Pole.

It took him only a few seconds to get there, going as fast as he was, and when he finally jumped out of the large hole, his feet landed on the soft, chilly snow. The wind blasted at him as usual, but Bunnymund had other things to worry about and paid no mind to the below freezing temperatures or the feeling of spikes going through the sensitive pads on his feet.

The Yetis opened the door before he even arrived, and he bounded through the large doors, barely nodding to the tall beasts in greeting.

"North!" he called.

At the thick Australian accent, the Guardian of Wonder turned around from where he'd been standing at the control panel of the globe. His already large smile broadened, and his larger than life personally fueled his gestures. "Bunny! Hello! What can be done for you, my friend?"

"Where's the snow globes?"

North ran his thumbs through his green suspenders, pulling them away from his red sweater as his brows came together. "Snow globe? What is snow globe needed for?"

Bouncing the last few paces towards the plump guardian, Bunny lowered his voice, his worry and determination lining his voice. "Jack's in trouble. I couldn't move him through the tunnels."

Instantly, the large smile on North's face changed, and a deep, concerned frown pulled at his lips. He called to one of the Yetis by the Globe, and the tall beast pulled on a drawer, plucking out a sphere with a picturesque scene of snow falling on pine trees captured within it. Lumbering over to the group, he handed it to North.

"Where?" he asked.

"Burgess," Bunny replied. "The lake."

The Guardian of Wonder focused on the snow globe, picturing the snow filled lake in his mind, where pines lined sections of the lake, intertwined with slim, leafless trees. The snow in the globe kicked up as it read his thoughts, and he bluntly said, "Burgess." He threw the globe a few feet in front of him, and as soon as it touched the thick carpet, a portal expanded in less than a second. The blue swirl distorted the air, and beyond that, the small ledge on the back of the lake could be seen.

Flicking his fingers, North motioned for the Yeti to follow them through the portal. Bunny hopped through first, in one large bound, and North and the tall creature followed close behind. The Australian's ears popped as he went through, but as soon as his pads touched the frozen lake, he looked around for his friend. The rain had stopped, but the boy was in the same place, knees drawn up with his arm around his leg, shivering uncontrollably.

"Jack!" Bunny shouted, landing in front of the boy. North's eyes widened in surprise as he said something in Russian. "Jack, mate, I'm back."

"B-Bun-ny?" he whispered, pained, drawing his head back to look at the Guardian of Hope. He looked even worse. Jack's usually pale skin was literally white as snow, and there were deep shadows under his usually bright eyes. His staff lay untouched next to him, unaware of its user's pain. Wind curled around him, an ever present friend, but right now, it seemed to be doing more harm than good.

"I'm here, mate. Don't worry, we're gonna get you fixed up."

The winter sprite nodded curtly, tucking his head back in until he spotted North behind him. "N-North, w-what're y-you-"

"Shush," Bunny interjected. "No talking, right?"

Confused, dull eyes looked back at him, and before he could respond, the Yeti, at North's direction, carefully scooped Jack up in his large arms. The boy let out a hiss of pain as his aching body was jarred, but as Bunny jumped over to check on him, he found that Jack was already losing consciousness.

"We've got to get him to the pole," he advised.

The usually jolly guardian nodded in agreement and turned back to the portal. North and the Yeti stepped through, the beast carefully handling the ill Guardian of Fun. But Bunny turned back, feeling like he was missing something, and as soon as he let his eyes search, they landed on Jack's shepherd's crook. The rain had melted any snowflakes settled on it, and without Jack's touch, the staff seemed bare and colorless.

Bunny was about to hop toward it to pick it up, but Wind blew it to his feet. The Guardian picked it up gingerly, as if he was about to break it, and, light-lipped, nodded to himself. There'd been tension between them because of Jack's antics in the past, but now they were friends. They had been through so much together, and Jack had been there for him when he'd been at his lowest. He had been there, and he had helped him to see past it and, together, they defeated Pitch. Now it was his turn to be there for his friend. They would fix this, and Jack would be alright. He would make sure of it.

* * *

They put Jack into one of the many spare rooms that North had scattered throughout his home. It was fairly large, with an old four-poster bed that had a view out a long window of the frozen tundra of the Pole. Several Yetis, all of whom were fond of the winter sprite, fringed the edges of the room, providing blankets and tidying up while the small elves brought in eggnog and cookies. But the focus, of course, was on Jack.

He'd been tucked into bed, still in his indigo hoodie and trousers, and covered with thick blankets that the Yetis had provided. Still, though, he was shivering. His eyes remained shut and clenched as though he were in pain, and he lay on his side, hugging the covers close as sweat glittered his face.

Bunny narrowed his eyes from where he crouched beside his bed and stood to his full height. Nevertheless, he had to look up to address his friend. "Whadda we do? I've never seen anything this extreme happen to a guardian."

"Nor me," North replied, but the thoughtful look on his face peaked the bunny's curiosity.

"What?"

"I am unsure of what to do. He is winter, and yet his body behaves like a living child."

"You mean the shivering? Everyone shivers. I shiver."

"But he_ is_ winter. He makes snowflakes in his hands, controls ice. Bunny, he does not even wear shoes. Jack does not _get_ cold. He is not affected by it. Finkle," he said, looking down at a group of four elves. Each of the little creatures pointed at themselves and then at each other. "Bring thermometer." They all headed towards the door, but the one in the back tripped, taking the others down with him. Each of them tried to get up but slipped on their own costume, and finally, as the one in front found his footing, he hobbled out the door.

"Odd little things," Bunny commented.

North nodded in agreement. "They are strange at times, but they get job done." As if on cue, the bell on the elf's hat jingled as he came running back, a long glass tube in his hand. "Thank you." North took is from him and walked back over towards the bed, setting one hand on Jack's forehead in reassurance as he said, "Jack, we're going to take temperature. Okay?" The boy barely nodded in response, so the Guardian of Wonder carefully stuck the tube into his partially opened mouth. It took a few minutes, but when North took the thermometer out of his mouth and inspected it, his eyes widened.

"What is it?" Bunny asked, hopping closer in worry.

North shook the thermometer to see if the red goo in it would change but, as suspected, it didn't. "He has a temperature of one-hundred and one."

The Guardian of Hope stood to his full height as surprise ran through him. His nose twitched with unease as his flexed his paws uneasily. "Mate, I don't know what his temperature should be, but that's sick even for a normal being."

North shook his head. "I do not understand. Do we try to keep him warm now or put him in ice?"

"I don't know!" Bunny said, frustrated. He moved closer to the bed, sighing as he leaned towards the winter sprite. He kept fading and out of consciousness, his eyes sometimes opening to small slivers. "Jack, how ya feelin', mate?"

Bunny wasn't even sure that the boy heard him until he gave a weak cough and mumbled, "Horrible," before huddling back into the blankets.

The guardian turned back to North. "We're gonna need some help."

"Agreed. I shall call the other Guardians. Maybe they will know something," he said, already heading out of the room. The elves followed loyally at his heels, and the Yetis left to go back to their work, leaving Jack and Bunny alone.

Bunnymund sighed and frowned as he looked at his sick friend. Even the frost that decorated the seams of his hoodie were now gone. Already, Bunny missed his excited friend. Seeing him like this... it felt so different. Jack had always been the strong one. He had gone three-hundred years without anyone believing in him-seeing him. He must have felt so alone.

He leaned closer towards Jack, whispering, "It's gonna be alright, Frostbite. Just get yourself better and we'll have a rematch race, right?" The boy mumbled something under his breath, but Bunny couldn't make it out.

Outside the window, the colorful lights of the Aurora Borealis spread rapidly across the world.

* * *

The other guardians are coming! *cheers* And we got some more bromance and angst and whump. *evil grin*

Anyway, I hope you guys liked it. I need to go be unconscious for a few hours. It's Homecoming week at school, and so we had a pep rally (in which the seniors did a flash mob [It was the weirdest thing I've ever done, guys. Seriously. The. Oddest. Thing. And, naturally, the one time we do this, I'm in sweatpants and a sweater! Good gravy, Cari.], and the cheerleaders were the best I've seen in my four years of high school), and then we had a parade afterwards. I got to hang out with some friends of mine that I usually don't get to hang out with a lot as a group. It was a lot of fun, and though I'll be happy when I finally graduate, I'm sad it's going to end at the same time. I'm quite the philosopher, in my opinion. :)

Goodnight, all! Sleep well! DREAM OF JACK FROST TONIGHT! ;)


	3. Nightmares

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians.

You know, whenever I post a chapter, the hardest thing is always writing the Author's Note. I'm not even kidding. I feel like, if I do it one way, I'll sound like an idiot, but if I don't write anything at all, I'll sound like a strict teacher or something. :P

Anyway, there is something I wanted to tell you guys: Go listen to "Is This The Day?" by Hoobastank. CaptainOzone showed it to me last night, and I was crying on my couch with Jack feels. I'm kinda embarrassed to say that, actually, because I'll be teased later about it by my best friend FallingSkiesxxxHalMason. *rolls eyes at self* ;D Also very good is Simple Plan's "Holding On" (think of Jack Frost, and the 'letter' mentioned is from his sister). Kills me every time.

Enough rambling, Cari, let them read.

Enjoy:

* * *

**Chapter 3: Nightmares**

* * *

Aurous streams of light shot through the air, glittering as the dust curved and weaved around lamp posts and telephone poles. The tendrils snaked through closed windows, completely oblivious to the barriers as the soft breaths of the sleeping child enthralled them. Immediately, the dreamsand took shape, and a miniature biplane flew in circles around the young boy's head. Lazy ringlets trailed behind it as the child sighed with content.

That was when the Sandman saw the lights.

The biplane that circled the boy's head slowly dissolved into sparkling dreamsand as the thin tendrils drew back from the child. High above, the Guardian of Dreams gathered swirling sand in the center of his palm. When he was satisfied with the amount, he threw it up into the air, pictured his own golden biplane in his mind, and watched as the sand gracefully took shape around him. The single propeller at the front silently whirled round and round, and with a quick adjustment, Sandy was off, following the glowing lights of the Aurora Borealis to their point of origin:

The North Pole.

Though the guardian travelled in a small plane, it traveled much faster than a human-made vehicle. He reached the Pole within a matter of minutes, and though the winds buffeted him, he fearlessly flew through the open window above the giant telescope. The wind immediately ceased, and he flew around the Globe towards the main landing. Once he was near, he allowed his plane to dissipate enough so that he could easily float towards the ground.

"Sandy!" North greeted, coming closer.

The Sandman hovered near him, a barrage of gilded images playing out above his head.

"I know," he placated, "but we have emergency."

The Guardian of Dream's eyebrows rose and his eyes filled with anxiety as yet another volley of pictures were enacted above his head. He flew in front of North, now, and pointed to the images.

"We are still waiting for Tooth. Then I will explain."

The head of a rabbit formed from the dust and a questions mark formed above his head.

North nodded. "Bunny is here, yes."

A glittering snowflake and a question mark. That did it. North's face fell just a little, and his usually bright eyes dimmed a little more. Seeing the change, Sandy rose higher, his face a picture of concern for the winter sprite. A large question mark formed above his head, expanding and shrinking again and again for emphasis.

"He is here, too. Wait for Tooth-"

Just then, a large gust of wind blew in from the ever-widening door, making the fire flicker and whip in the hearth as North and Sandy guarded their faces. The Yetis on either side opened it just enough for Tooth and her fairies to get through before struggling to close it once more against the strong winds and pelting snow.

The Tooth Fairy shivered as she flew towards the fire, stretching out her hands as she pulled her knees up. "My goodness, it's a blizzard out there." Her fairies gathered around the fire as well, Baby Tooth hovering near Tooth's head. She smiled at them as she rubbed her hands together. "I bet Jack's having fun with this weather, huh?"

North's eyes widened again, and his lips thinned as he set his hands over his belly. "Um..."

A snowflake appeared above Sandy's head, along with a tooth and another question mark.

"Yes, yes, I will tell you."

"Tell us what?" Tooth asked. Her iridescent feathers caught the firelight, making them shine as she flew close to her two friends. The gold snowflake continued to bounce atop Sandy's head, and the tooth fairy caught its meaning. "Is there something wrong with Jack? Is he okay? What happened?"

North glanced around the room, not looking at his fellow guardians as he spoke. "We do not know how it happened exactly, but Jack is sick. Very sick. Even at normal rate."

Tooth's hands went to her mouth, and Baby Tooth spat out unintelligible, though clearly worried, squeaks next to her. Her expression, too, was the same as the others: surprise, concern, questioning.

"What do you mean he's sick?" Tooth asked. "With what?"

"We do not know that either. He seems to have cold, but he is Jack Frost-he is cold."

A snowflake and a rabbit's head appeared above the Sandman's head, and his expression and gestures echoed his inquired.

"Bunny is with him now, yes. They are in guest room."

"Where?" Tooth pressed.

"Follow me," North replied, turning away from them and heading towards the hallway. Tooth quickly turned to the number of fairies still by the fire and told them to go back to the Tooth Palace to collect the teeth while she was gone. Baby Tooth, as always, stayed by her side, and the Sandman followed right behind them.

The guardian led them down the hallway on the right, passing working Yetis and... experimenting elves. North barely spoke a word to any of them as he walked with determination towards their destination. What really made everything that much worse, though, was that even with the morose atmosphere between the anxious guardians, children's toys were still being made and various, lighthearted objects flew through the air.

Finally, North took the final left into the room, and the first thing Sandy and Tooth saw was Bunny's back. But then he turned around to see who had entered the room, and Tooth caught a peek at Jack's sweat-soaked white hair.

"Jack!" she yelled, immediately flying higher, over the Sandman and Bunny, to hover above the winter sprite. The boy flinched at her shrill tone, and his eyes clenched shut as his jaw tensed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sweet Tooth," Tooth apologized. "How long's he been like this?"

"An hour, at the most," Bunny replied. "I don't know... It could have been hours before that, though. We were just racin', and he went down."

"He was flying?" Tooth asked. She looked at the small cuts on Jack's cheek, concerned at the purple lining them. "Where did he crash?"

Bunny looked down at the young sprite, sorrow lighting his eyes. "He crashed into a snowbank before sliding on the ice in Burgess."

Tooth's hands went to her mouth. "But what's wrong with him?" she asked, turning to North.

North, however, was already talking to Sandy through the guardian's sand images. But, at his name, the Guardian of Wonder turned, frowning. "We do not know yet," he answered, "but Sandy has idea."

Hope lit the fairy's eyes, and she flew towards them. "What is it?"

"Sandy will try to find out what is wrong through dreamsand."

Next to him, the sandman nodded and formed a ball of sand in his hand.

"How does that work?" Bunny asked, taking a leap towards the group.

"From what Sandy told me, dreamsand will tell what is wrong with Jack."

Sandy nodded, floating over towards the bed as his eyes narrowed in concentration. Then, as golden sand floated around his hands, he threw the ball in the air, where it formed tendrils that began to circle the sprite's head. But as Sandy's eyes narrowed even more, the sand drifted down towards his skin, seeping into his pores until only a small shimmer of it was left in the air. Jack barely moved during the process other than to take in a gulp of air as the dust disappeared into him.

Bunnymund took a cautious step towards him. "Sandy? What's it doing to him?"

The Guardian of Dreams help up his index finger, and Bunny tilted his head, watching closely. Suddenly, some of the dreamsand came back through his hair, and golden images took shape above his head in the form of his reverie. There, floating above his head, was a tall, imposing figure standing inches away from a smaller character. Normally, the forms would be so random that it would be anyone's guess as to whom the figures were, but these weren't normal circumstances.

"Pitch," Tooth deadpanned, staring at the images.

"And Jack," Bunnymund added. "When was this?"

Sandy shook his head in confusion, focusing on the figures once more. There were no vocal sounds, no sounds at all, actually, but from Jack's defensive posture and body language, they were speaking, and it wasn't an easy conversation. Pitch clutched something in his hands, and Jack flipped his staff over... The images abruptly changed, and suddenly Pitch had the winter sprite's beloved staff.

"What!" North yelped.

Jack reached towards him, but the golden figure of the Boogeyman pulled his knee up and brought the shepherd's crook crashing down against the joint, splitting it in two and causing the winter sprite to stagger backwards and clutch his chest in pain.

In the time span of two seconds, the gilded images disappeared as quickly as they had formed, and Jack pulled in a deep swallow of air as his back arched and he clenched his fist over his middle, letting out a yell of anguish.

"Jack!" Tooth screamed.

Bunny came up next to Sandy, who was frantically pulling the golden sand back into his hand and away from the spirit of winter, and tried to set his paw on the writhing boy's shoulder. "Jack! Jack, it's okay! He's not gonna hurt you now, mate. You're safe. Promise. I promise." Tooth, above him, and North, at the end of the bed, began to say much the same thing, repeating it over and over.

The words seemed to reach him, and Jack's breathing slowed and evened, but he continued to murmur under his breath. Bunnymund, with sad eyes, pulled the duvet up to the boy's chin.

By now, Sandy had pulled back all the dreamsand and had evaporated it into the air. The rabbit rounded on him, voice low so he didn't disturb his friend. "Sandy, what in the world was that? Dreams aren't supposed to hurt people!"

The guardian pulled his hands up in a look of innocence and bewilderment as his eyes widened. An image took shape above his head: Pitch.

"Pitch?"

A ball of glittering sand formed in his hand again, thin tendrils of it trailing the sphere.

"Dreamsand?"

"Not dreams," North concluded, crossing his arms over his broad chest. He narrowed his hardened eyes at the swirling sand in the guardian's hand as he finished: "They are nightmares."

* * *

You guys have really astounded me with your responses to this. *tackle hugs for everyone* I'm so glad you all like it, and thank you all for the reviews. They're really encouraging.

Oh, and what I didn't tell you guys-CaptainOzone and ErinNovelist helped me come up with another idea for a RotG fic! :D I think it has potential, but I don't want to give too much away just yet. And I also don't want to start it yet since I'm already so busy. But, if a certain Disney princess *cough*Pocahontas*cough* asks... I might leak a little plot. Pressures all on you, girlie! *hugs*

Thanks for reading, guys. Until next time.


	4. Inside

Disclaimer: IDORotG

Guys, I am a horrible person, and I am profusely sorry for taking so long to update. This story isn't coming to me as easily as it first was, and I made the mistake of posting before I even made a dent into the idea. Sorry! I'll definitely keep updating, but I'm sorry if it takes a while. I don't think there'll be any updates this month (again, really sorry) because I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year and developing an original story. :) Okay, well, anyway, I need to get back to that. So thank you to all who's still reading this, and thank you for the reviews asking me to update. See you all later!

Enjoy:

* * *

**Chapter 4: Inside**

* * *

"Nightmares?" Bunny repeated. "Whaddya mean nightmares?"

North's gaze remained fixed on Jack as he replied. "They are not dreams. They are nightmares."

"But nightmares don't hurt people either," Tooth added.

The Guardian of Dreams silently agreed. Nightmares were psychological; they didn't cause pain. Even the worst nightmares. Sometimes people woke up in a cold sweat yelling as if they were in pain, but they didn't provoke the continuing agony that was written all over Jack's face.

But Sandy already had an idea.

He hovered over to the bed again, eyes focusing on the familiar substance that had leaked out of his friend's ear once he had pulled back his dreamsand. And when he reached it and properly saw what it was, a golden lips parted with surprise and his eyes filled with horror.

"Sandy?"

The Sandman turned to his friends, threading his fingers through the ebony sand and lifting his hand before the grains fell through his fingers. The reactions from the other's were much the same: Tooth flew backwards a foot, the same terrified surprise lighting her eyes, North's lips parted with his breath, and Bunny stood taller, as if a cold wind had ruffled his fur.

"I thought we were done with Pitch," Bunny deadpanned.

North gritted his teeth. "Apparently not." And, to Sandy: "So, what? Pitch... infected him with sand?"

The Sandman nodded.

"And that's what's causing the nightmares?"

This time, however, the guardian shook his head. Because the boy wasn't dreaming, nor was he having nightmares. It all came together in his head. No, Jack was remembering. These weren't just terrors that came in through his dreams-they were memories.

Tooth seemed to catch on too. "Oh! You mean-?" Sandy nodded at her.

"What?" Bunny asked.

"They're memories," she explained. "They're not nightmares."

"What?" North exclaimed. "But how could Pitch pull memories? How did he infect Jack?"

"And when?" Bunny added icily.

Baby Tooth squeaked, sitting beside Jack's ear. Her wings fluttered nervously at the traces of black dust there.

"How do we help him?" Tooth translated.

Everyone looked towards Sandy, whomofwhich had his brow furrowed in thought.

"Sandy?"

The Sandman looked up at them, eyebrow quirked and lips thin. A golden cloud appeared above his head as well as four smaller ones. The foursome combined and entered the largest cloud.

"What?"

Sandy's hands pointed towards each of them, and then to each of the smaller clouds. He pointed towards Jack and then towards the larger clouds, reanimating the dreamsand. The four smaller ones once more entered the largest one.

"We must enter Jack's dream?" North questioned.

Nodding vigorously, Sandy smiled.

"H-how do we do that?" Bunnymund asked.

Thinking quickly, the Guardian of Dreams cast out five threads of dreamsand, connecting each of them to the clouds above his head.

Tooth cocked her head. "The dreamsand can connect us?" Sandy nodded again. "But what do we do once we enter his dreams?"

A snowflake appeared within the largest cloud, and as the four tendrils reached inside the cloud, they latched onto the flake and pulled it out of the golden mass.

"We've got to get Jack out of his dreams, erm, memories?" Bunny asked.

Tooth glanced between Jack and the others. "That should be easy enough, right?"

"Memories are complicated things, Tooth," North commented. "We do not know what we will find once we are in there. We would be at mercy of Jack's imagination, as well as his nightmares. They will be real to him. You saw what happened to Jack when Sandy used his dreamsand. If Jack believes he is being injured-he will be injured."

"But we have to try!"

"We will, Tooth," Bunny placated. "But we still have to know what we could face."

Sandy nodded with agreement.

"We'll be facing whatever danger Jack thinks he is in," Bunny added.

"What about Baby Tooth?"

As if on cue, the little fairy flew towards Tooth, hovering by her head.

A telescope then appeared above the Sandman's head.

"Keep watch?"

Baby Tooth squeaked with protest, but settled once Sandy explained, through Tooth, that supporting four entering Jack's dream would be pushing it, five going would just overwhelm Jack's mind.

Bunny straightened up glancing between Jack and Sandy. "Well it's now or never."

Silently, they all found a comfortable place to sit in the room. North, the largest of them all, took the oversized rocking chair, Tooth took a smaller table chair in the corner, Bunny curled up on an old couch against the wall, and Sandman floated in the center of the room, distributing dreamsand evenly among the five of them.

It wasn't long before they were each lulled to sleep, Baby Tooth huddling on the bed post and watching with eager eyes as their eyes closed and their breaths slowed.

As for the dreamers themselves, the world slowly faded from colorful, to grey, to black. The sound of sparkling dreamsand ebbed away, and their bodies relaxed. All feeling was gone as their minds faded away... to Jack's.

And then the world snapped back with sudden clarity.

Light flooded Bunny's eyes as he blinked them open. The air felt chilly and crisp, and it smelled of pine. When his eyes finally adjusted, he saw that he was in a pine forest. Distantly, birds chirped and axes bit into the trees.

"North?" he called. "Tooth? Sandy?"

"Over here!"

"Here!"

Sandy didn't answer, obviously, but appeared from behind another pine, just as the others did.

"Mates, where are we?"

"...is this?"

A young girl's voice echoed around the clearing. "Jaaaaackkkk!"

North was the one who finally answered after a moment of awed silence. "We're inside Jack's memories."

* * *

Nothing to say down here other than g'night, guys! I hope you enjoyed it. :)


End file.
